Page 251 of Not My Type
“Bout wah? A mi key mi want,” I say angrily if mi nuh kill smaddy today mi nuh name Nickoi.
“Listen to me… mi nuh want everybody hear, but a’ Adonis dweet,” she says, and I just stare at her.
“Wah?” I ask.
Nuh yuh uncle that?
“Yuh stinking uncle,” she says. I smile, shaking my head, but my face turns serious again just as quickly. Anytime yuh do that yuh really mad.
“Uncle Adonis?” I ask in shock. “And mi and him nav’ nutt’n so wah dis bout?”
“Him did ask fi part a the business and mi tell him seh mi nuh inna that so it look like a dat mek him a try hurt you,” she breathes out. Hurt me?
“If dem did offa me, me woulda get all 10 shots,” I say. Mi been a drop mi guard from when, enuh.Nickoi anything can happ’m.
“Dem just pull up sudden and start aim offa Zara ‘cause mi draw mi gun fi hold dem off, but den mi realize a she dem really deh ‘pon. Dat’s why mi just run go to har,” I say. S’pose dem did make sup’m do har? A swear mi would a bun dung the whole Jamaica. And I still might, no man nuh violate mi ooman.
“Mi cya believe so much problem in a one day,” she hisses.
Mi deh yah deep inna mi thoughts, a try figure out why the wasteman woulda try hurt man ooman and not me—when a me have di drugs business weh him want.“Maybe it’s a warning,” I say after a while. “Mi a think say him did a try fi kill her fi scare me so him get wah him want. A so mi see it. Cas dem d’evu know Zara.” A the wrong person him mess wid enuh. A swear.
“Gi mi the key,” I press and she sighs.
“Nickoi mi nuh wah yuh go get hurt enuh. Yuh fren dem already gone after dem just leave it and gwan to yuh ooman because she need you right now. Mi will mek sure seh him stay away,” Mommy pleads.
Foolishness. Nah back dung from no man weh a try hurt mi or Zara. Since a war him want a war him go get. “Mommy gimme the key,” I say in deadpan. The more mi think bout this the angrier mi get.
“Nickoi wah mek yuh stubborn like yuh father so!?” She raises her voice at me. “Yuh think seh mi nuh want him dead? Yuh think him wouldn’t kill me too a just the way how him a try play mind games fi mash we up. The only problem is yuh get shot and yuh d’even care bout it and a talk bout yuh wah key fi go war and yuh not in the right state. This is not you! You nah think right now and a anger a speak. All now yuh nuh think bout weh yah drive go and weh yuh plan fi do!” she shouts. I stay silent.
Gutta is nearby but the others can’t hear because of the distance. “Yuh think mi nuh know seh yuh dawk and stay just like yuh father? But look weh him deh... him dead. A times like this when yuh disoriented yuh get knock when yuh nah think right. Yuh father did smart enuh but because he was drunk he wasn’t in his right state of mind so Von could a kill him. Yuh feel seh him could a do that if he was sober? Yuh mussi mad.” She says firmly before she looks at Gutta. “Yuh understand Gutta?”
“No joke,” he nods. She looks back at me.
“Your father was the most ruthless man I know and mi nuh see back nobody like him until yuh start get older mi a see seh you stay just like him more and more. Yuh vulnerable right now, so just listen and fall back and think about it. Wi a go deal wid him yes but not right now. Mek him think seh him win fi now man cause him nuh know me and him nuh know you,” her eyes lowers. Mamz a General.
“Real meds,” Gutta chimes in. “Dem always seh the mother dem know wah best fi yuh, nuh matter how foolish it sound in a we ears.”
You a listen Nickoi? My annoying subconscious asks.
“Anuh lie we know how Nickoi stay already but right now him get shot, him shake up bout the wul Zara thing, him lick him head and we just bury Gina. God man wah more yuh wah happen!” her eyes tired.
“Ah. Today a Saturday,” I drag my vape, their eyes on me.“Monday nah pass and him nuh dead.”
“Anything yuh seh mi Don,” Gutta agrees. Mommy simply nods.
“Just be smart and careful mi son,” she press a kiss to my cheek. We stop talking when we hear footsteps.
approaching. It’s Zara. She doesn’t say anything. She simply hugs me and I wrap my arms around her. “You alright?” I ask, looking down at her and she says no.
“Mi wah go home,” her voice muffled, her face in my chest. I sigh in defeat.
“Ah.” I finally pull away, feeling the pain creeping up. Mi used to getting shot, a just part o’ di game. Shit hurt, but I’ll make it back home and get my aunt to help. Neva’ been the type fi run to doctors. They’re liability, too many questions, too many eyes. I did throw some white rum on the wound, and drank some herbal drink. Mi nuh dead yet, so it a work...
While Zara chats with my Mamz, I slide in the car, cooling while Gutta and I lock in on the plan—how we a guh cut the wasteman points short. We keep it low, voices steady, breaking down every angle, every weak spot. Soon as Zara hops in, we dead the convo like it never happened. I shift, pulling my jacket over the graze on my side. The engine hums, and just like that, we peel out of Montego Bay, the weight of what’s coming heavy in the air..
We make a few stops, grabbing food and snacks before we hit the road again. Zara quiet the whole ride, and it’s mad awkward ‘cause she always deh chat or ask some kinda question. Now—nothing. Just silence, heavy in di air, like she’s lost in her own head.
“Sorry about all the drama today,” my voice the lowest it’s ever been.
